


Blood is Thicker

by tacoma_vibes



Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: Bottom Zane, Father-Son Relationship, Introspection, M/M, Married Couple, Quiet Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 07:34:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18846514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tacoma_vibes/pseuds/tacoma_vibes
Summary: Ty was a good son. He was a good man. He’d been a good Marine and he was a good federal agent. He was a lot of things. But he was no coward, and Earl had never even dreamed of thinking he was. Earl had said it in the heat of the moment.....He would have to make it right with more than a simple apology. Soon.- Excerpt From Sticks and Stones, Madeleine Urban & Abigail RouxIt didn't sit well with me that Ty never got his apology. Here's my version of how it would have panned out.





	1. Chapter 1

Earl stood and stretched from where he sat at his office. It wasn’t much of an office, really. Just a tiny nook in the cavern-like room, next to the conveyor belt and all the drilling equipment where he could sit and supervise the miners. His phone rang, loud and shrill. It was the one Deuce had gotten him a couple of years back. Deuce insisted on getting him a newer, bigger model but Earl refused. There was no need when this one worked just fine. He could take a picture with it and make a damn phone call with it. Wasn’t that the point of a cellular phone? But his younger son was all about shiny cars and doohickeys. He swiped the screen to answer Mara’s call.

“You was getting so late I thought of sending Beaumont over.”

“The boys are home?”

“The boys are home,” Mara echoed happily.

Earl laughed. Mara still had a bit of an empty nest syndrome, even after all these years. Ty and Zane coming for a visit always made her as pleased as punch.

“Hell would freeze over before that boy came down here,” Earl muttered. These mines had always scared the bejesus outta Ty. Even when he was little.

“Well, then don’t be late. I made apple pie.”

“Yes, dear.” Earl smiled and hung up the call. He picked up a pamphlet from his table. It was issued from the Mayor’s office this morning as a part of their ‘viable alternatives’ program. Some beekeeping and woodworking classes.

He sighed heavily. This was a long time coming. All his life he was told that coal was going to be obsolete sooner or later, being non-renewable and all. He’d hoped the boom would last a little longer. But instead it had fizzled out like a firecracker. A string of coal companies in West Virginia had filed for bankruptcy in recent years with competition from cheap natural gas and environmental regulations. Their own coal mine had intermittent layoffs. All their miners were hardworking, resilient mountain folk. Folks he went to church with. And being the supervisor, Earl was the one who had to look them in the eye and hand them envelopes with termination notices. The corporate called it work force reduction. Nice way to put it, but it still means you’re out of a job.

The government were offering classes at the City Hall as a means of easing the transition. They were made promises of solar panels and wind turbines. But so far all they got was woodworking.

Earl crammed the piece of paper in his desk drawer and took off his personal dust monitor. He could worry about this sometime later. Now he needed to get home and see his boy.

He watched the landscape as he drove by. The trailer parks, the government-subsidized housing, the small farmhouses and the mountain homesteads. All of which was imprinted into his soul. Earl had been to a lot of places throughout his service but the peace and quiet he found in Bluefield was something he’d cherish till he died.

He navigated the car up the winding dirt road and parked it on the gravel driveway next to Ty’s Mustang. The rocking chairs on the front porch were empty but a deep, booming laugh from inside the house revealed that Chester was in there catching up with the boys. He pushed the screen door open and stepped inside.

“Hey, Dad.” Ty stood to greet him, an easy smile on his face. His age was beginning to show; a smattering of grey along his hairline and the crinkles around his eyes that grew more pronounced when he smiled. But the spark in his hazel green eyes was the same one he had when Earl had confronted him for shooting Mara’s oven at age eight.

Earl’s chest tightened when he embraced his son.

Over Ty’s shoulder he saw Zane smiling at them from where he sat at the kitchen table. Zane raised his glass in salute and Earl nodded back at him.

Dinner was a loud and noisy affair. Mara was an incredible cook on a regular day, and Ty coming home always called for a sumptuous meal.

“And then she had the audacity to ask me if Jiminy and Cricket were for sale.” Ty said, sounding very pissed off. “Just because they were sitting on the windowsill! Can you imagine me giving away my kitties?”

“Yes,” Zane said between mouthfuls of mashed potato.

“I’m sorry Lonestar, what was that?”

Earl had to laugh. These two were something else. Half the time they were sniping at each other but when they thought nobody was looking they were all lovey-dovey.

“What about you, dad? How’s work going?”

“Well, I got another one of those pamphlets from the Mayor’s office.”

Mara gripped his hand under the table and squeezed gently. A loud clunk was heard across the room as Ty dropped his fork. He was staring at Earl, his shoulders tensing. “I thought your company made a settlement with the state department.”

“The court filing proved that there was a funding deficit of some million dollars.”

“Well, you _did_ vote for Trump hoping he’ll bring the coal jobs back,” Ty retorted.

“Enough,” Mara snapped at them. “No politics at the dinner table, dammit.”

A strained silence filled the room. Zane’s wary eyes darted between Earl and Ty as he chewed slowly. At least he had the sense to stay out of this.

Ty cleared his throat and met Earl’s eyes. “So what are you going to do now?”

Earl knew Ty was not asking about the monetary side of things. Earl would earn enough from his veteran’s pension and the miners’ union to provide for his family. It was the job itself that Ty was asking about. A job that was passed down from generations, one Earl took great pride in.  He had enough connections in town to scuttle his way into another gig. But that was not the point.

Suddenly, the air got too stifling and he couldn’t just sit there anymore. He excused himself and went out through the back door. He thumped down the old wooden steps that led into the back yard, his aging bones creaking as he sat. He peered distractedly at one of the outbuildings that Ty and Deuce had help fix last summer. He cursed and dug into his pockets for a cigar. Ty continued to supply Chester with a constant stream of Cubans cigars and Earl would sometimes sneak one in from Chester’s cabinet.

“I could get some for you, you know.”

Earl hadn’t even heard Ty approach. That boy had always been stealthy. Earl looked over his shoulder as he drew closer. But Ty hung back a little, his hands jammed into his front pockets, looking hesitant about intruding into Earl’s space.

Earl patted the step beside him. “Have a seat, son.”

Ty plonked down next to him, their legs touching in the crowded space.

It was long minutes before he spoke. “Dad, I know some folks at a natural gas company in Charleston. I’ll ask around to see if they any vacancies. Will you take a look at any applications if I send them across?”

Earl took a long puff from his cigar. He was often accused of being a stubborn mulehead, usually by Mara. He lived by his rules and what he considered a righteous course of action, rarely seeking outside help. This one time he decided to let his son help. He nodded and passed the cigar to Ty.

Ty’s shoulders slumped noticeably and he took the cigar from him. Earl watched the thin wisps of cigar smoke unfurl into the mountain air before them as Ty took a puff.

“I never apologized to you, Beaumont,” he said quietly. “For calling you a coward that day.”

Ty’s head snapped up and he stared at Earl with widened eyes.

Earl shook his head dejectedly. “Mara always says I’m a little too strict with you boys. And I guess sometimes I do push you too far. But I only want the best for you two.”

“Dad, we know that,” Ty said earnestly.

“But calling you _that……_ it was unforgivable. I could have lost you back there,” Earl said, his voice thick with emotion as he recalled that fateful night. “I said that to spur you on―”

“Dad, I know―”

“Dammit, Beaumont, just let me talk,” Earl said urgently. “I’ve done that a couple of times. Goad you boys into action with harsh words. I’ve come to realize that you both don’t need that. You’ve got enough of a moral compass to judge what’s good for yourself without me looking over your shoulder.”

Ty continued to stare at him in disbelief, but there was also a tinge of sorrow in his expression. Earl had never been big on verbal affection. He recalled fleeting moments throughout his life when he felt like his sons needed endearments and reaffirmations from him and he’d held his tongue. When Ty passed basic training and made it to Recon, when Deuce started his psychiatry practice in Philadelphia, when Ty graduated from the FBI Academy, when Deuce had brought Amelia over for the first time. All because he was too chickenshit to offer anything more than a pat on the cheek.

Earl ducked his head and closed his eyes. “You’re the bravest man I know, Beaumont,” he said without looking up, his voice almost inaudible. And it was true. Men whom he had considered brave and honorable in the past, men like Richard Burns and Randall Jones, had turned out to ruthless monsters who had thrown him to the wolves. But Ty….Ty had always been a shining beacon of valor and morality whose entire life revolved around making his dad proud. Which he did, by the way. With flying colors. But Earl had never, ever told him that. And why was that? Because of some macho posturing? Because of the fear of seen as a sappy old schmuck? Earl didn’t know anymore and he didn’t care. When he looked sideways, Ty was watching him with his mouth hanging open.

Earl chuckled and clapped him on his back. “I should have told you that a long time ago,” he said softly, plucking the cigar back from Ty’s limp fingers. Earl didn’t know where the urge to share came from, but he was grateful that this dam burst.

“I’m so damn proud of you, Beaumont,” he said sincerely for the first time in his life. “I’ve always been.”

He felt more than saw Ty’s façade break. His lips quivered ever so slightly and tears swam at the corners of his eyes which he hurriedly swiped at with the back of his hand. He grabbed the railing and stood.

“Jesus, Dad. You are laying it on thick today,” Ty said hoarsely.

Earl watched him, twirling the cigar between his thumb and forefinger. “No son, it’s about time I told you. I know I don’t always share much, but I…I needed to tell you this.”

Ty swallowed hard and nodded, his expression torn between relief and shock. “Yeah, well. Thank you. Also, I got the ‘not sharing’ genes from you. It was tough when Zane and I first got together.”

“You boys doing okay?”

“We’re solid. Now he mostly wishes that I’d shut up.”

Earl laughed and let the ashy remnants of the cigar fall to the ground, stubbing it out with his boot heel. He felt lighter, a tremendous burden lifted from his heart. When he looked up Ty was watching him thoughtfully, still looking a bit misty-eyed. Ty pointed at the house. “I should―”

“Yeah,” Earl said immediately, moving his feet so that Ty could pass by. He was glad they had this talk, and he hoped that this would pave the way for more conversations in the future. Conversations that were long overdue.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Ty balled his trembling fingers into tight fists and fought the urge to look back at his father sitting on the front stoop. If he did, he would probably break down and cry. He saw Zane watching him through the screen door. He took two long strides, pushed the door open and launched himself into his husband’s arms. He did not know how long he stood there in Zane’s embrace, clinging to him.

He pulled back just enough to look at Zane. “Did you―”

“Yeah, I heard,” Zane murmured against his hair. “You needed to hear that from him, doll. It was a long time coming.”

Ty buried his face into the crook of Zane’s shoulder and drew in long, deep breaths, trying to steady himself. Holy shit. This was the validation of his lifetime. And frankly he never expected to hear those words from Earl. A loud clearing of throat broke them apart. Mara was smiling at them from the hallway.

“You should get him more of that Madeira if you want him to open up like that,” Mara said dryly.

Ty chuckled and shook his head, fighting the tears that encroached again. He had enough emotional overload for the day.

 

 

Later that night, Ty and Zane were sprawled over in his bedroom. They had replaced Ty’s creaky old bed with a bigger one. But they still had to keep their proclivities to the minimum volume because their voices carried.

Ty leaned against the headboard, staring wistfully at his bedroom wall while carding his fingers through Zane’s curls as he lay beside him. Mara had added a couple of photos of him and Zane to his mishmash of older photographs.

Zane tipped his head back to look at him. “You okay?”

Ty nodded and lay down beside him, facing him. He gazed at Zane all splayed out, wearing nothing but his dark boxer briefs. “You look very fuckable today, Garrett.”

Zane’s lips could barely curve into a smile before Ty crushed them with his own, tasting his familiar scent. Zane kissed him back, hitching his legs up high and wrapping them around Ty’s waist. He pulled back to frown at Ty. “You never fuck me here,” he accused before delving back into the kiss.

Ty yanked Zane’s hair, pulling his head back to feast on his neck. “And whose fault is that?”

Zane couldn’t keep his voice down during sex if his life depended on it. Not that Ty ever wanted him to. His husband’s moans and whimpers were his biggest turn-ons. But when they stayed here they usually went for blowjobs or Ty bottoming.

Ty rose up on his elbows to peer down on Zane. His skin was flushed in areas where Ty’s lips had been moments ago. His eyes were hazy and heavy-lidded as he regarded Ty. His broad chest rose and fell, the coarse hair there more grey than black. A heady wave of lust shoot through Ty.

Ty narrowed his eyes at Zane. “You have to stay really, really quiet.”

Zane nodded, his hands caressing Ty’s back and shoulders. Then those hands descended to cup Ty’s ass, drawing him tight against his warm, straining body. The feel of Zane’s hardness made Ty’s own cock swell and stiffen. They ground together, gloriously matched.

Ty pressed Zane harder into the mattress and tightened his hold over Zane’s wrists, holding him down as they rutted. A loud, needy moan escaped Zane’s lips. Ty’s hand shot up to cover Zane’s mouth to silence any further sounds. Ty raised an eyebrow at him and Zane stared back at him, wide-eyed and panting.

“Stay,” he whispered before crawling back to retrieve lube from his bag. When Ty returned to their bedside, Zane had pulled his thighs back to his chest, spreading his legs wide open. Ty’s cock jerked again at the sight.

He insinuated himself between Zane’s outspread legs, running his hands up those muscular thighs. He then bent over and slowly drew Zane’s cock between his lips.

Zane squirmed and bucked under him, his muscles flexing under Ty’s hands. Ty glanced up when he heard a muffled sound. Zane was biting into his knuckles, using his hand to dampen his noises like Ty had done before. Chuckling, Ty bend down again and swiped his tongue over the glistening pink head, drawing another shudder from Zane. Ty took him a bit deeper, then pulled back and went deeper still. His tongue savored every millimeter of skin, smooth and rough while he relished the scent of Zane’s musk. Ty’s fingernails dug sharply into Zane’s thighs when the muffled noises got louder, and Zane retaliated by thrusting his hips forward.

Ty focused on steadying his breathing when Zane’s cock brushed the back of his throat. He held it there for a moment, his lips grazing the coarse hair at the base of Zane’s cock. Zane quivered under him, an utter mess of need and silent pleading.

Ty pulled back and snatched the pump dispenser bottle of lube from beside him and coated his fingers which he then slid down to massage Zane’s hole.

“Ty. Please.” Zane managed to croak in between soft, shallow gasps.

They did this often enough that Zane’s ass complied at the barest touch, opening up and drawing in Ty’s fingers. Ty lowered his head to taste Zane’s cock again, his rhythm now smooth and sure, intent on making Zane come. Feeling merciless, Ty curled his fingers lodged inside Zane’s hole, seeking out his prostate.

Zane writhed, abs flexing and relaxing before going completely still. Ty knew that pose. He readied himself just in time to receive a mouthful of hot cum. He guzzled down all of it, savoring the salty-bitter taste.

“How did you manage to stay quiet through that?” Ty asked, scraping his teeth over the sensitive skin of Zane’s inner thigh before kissing the spot. Zane laughed and held out his hand. “Come on up here and fuck me.”

Ty crawled up Zane’s body and laid himself out atop him. They kissed, the intensity going from gentle to ferocious. Zane reached between them and coated Ty’s cock with lube before guiding the cockhead to his hole. Jesus Christ _._ That was all the persuasion Ty needed to thrust his hips, and he barely slipped inside. He rocked there just a little, the sensation of Zane expanding around him sending a shiver of pleasure through his spine. He stared down at Zane’s earnest face below him, their noses almost touching as they gasped for breath.

“I’m going to cover your mouth now, okay?”

Zane nodded and Ty snapped his hips again, delving in deeper. His hand flung out just in time to mute a loud whimper from Zane. Ty felt a vindictive pleasure in denying Zane that vocal release. He gripped Zane’s thighs and pumped his hips harder and faster, fucking Zane thoroughly. Beneath them, the mattress shifted and creaked with his cadence.

Zane thrashed and flailed against the sheets and bit hard into Ty’s palm. The sweet surge of pain obliterated every thought from Ty’s mind. He surged forward, rocking against Zane in a ragged, helpless rhythm.

He bit hard against Zane’s shoulder when he felt his balls draw tight, sinking his teeth into warm skin as his orgasm washed through him. He pulled his hand away and slumped against Zane’s sweaty chest. Over the haze of delirium, he heard Zane murmur his name again and again. After one long, ravenous kiss, he carefully pulled out of Zane’s quivering body, lowered his husband’s legs and collapsed next to him.

Zane took hold of his hand to inspect the wounds. There were bright red teeth marks all over one side of his palm.

Ty raised an eyebrow at him. “Next time we’ll use a ball gag.”

Zane laughed and snuggled up to him, kissing him lazily. They soon settled into a cozy embrace, Zane’s head cradled against Ty’s chest. Ty sighed and pressed his lips against Zane’s hair, pondering over the whirlwind of today’s events. All was well in his life.

 


End file.
